What Pioneers Need to Know

There’s only one step left until the v20 version.

Pi Network’s Core Team took it to X at the end of the business week to announce the latest blockchain update that was successfully migrated. The protocol v19.6 has been implemented, leaving version 19.9, which is next in line, the only one left before the highly-anticipated v20.

The announcement also urged nodes to ensure they had upgraded to comply with the new version.

Network Update: Protocol v19.6 migration successfully completed ✅ Next up is v19.9 — the final step before v20. Node operators should make sure they’re upgraded and stay tuned for further instructions: https://t.co/mnbwVzhaD9

— Pi Network (@PiCoreTeam) February 20, 2026

Nodes, The Update Is Here

Recall that the team first outlined the upcoming series of upgrades last week, stating that the Pi nodes have until February 15 to complete their migration to remain connected to the network once it’s implemented.

In the explanatory post dedicated to nodes, the team described them as the “fourth role within the Pi ecosystem,” which needs to operate on laptops and desktop computers rather than mobile devices. Similar to nodes in other blockchains, they have to validate transactions and maintain the distributed ledger by reaching consensus on the order of transactions.

However, there’s a difference between Pi Network’s nodes and those operating on proof-of-work systems, such as Bitcoin. Since Pi employs a consensus mechanism derived from the Stellar Consensus Protocol (SCP), nodes from trusted groups, known as quorum slices, validate transactions only when trusted peers agree.

It’s worth noting that security circles created by mobile miners form a global trust graph that helps determine which nodes can participate in validation.

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Build for Accessibility

The Core Team also emphasized another difference between nodes on different blockchains and those operating within the Pi ecosystem. They explained that Pi Network’s entire concept is to work under a user-centric design where even less technically savvy Pioneers can install the Pi Node desktop application and enable or disable node participation with a simple interface.

The team noted that this method aligns with Pi’s strategy of “progressive decentralization,” which allows the network to evolve toward full decentralization while remaining accessible to everyday users.